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UNDERCUT DOVETAILS Undercut the inside of the socket to ensure the dovetails fully seat. Undercut unseen faces of pins and tails. Leave outer edges untouched. Good fit where it counts. As long as the outer edges of the tails and pins are kept clean and tight, the dovetail is aesthetically correct. Leave flats at the edges for a gap-free fit. 1 START WITH A VERTICAL CUT Clamp a guide block to the baseline. Make the first chop with the chisel against the block to establish a flat at the edge. Guide block Hold chisel against block. 2 ANGLE THE CHISEL SLIGHTLY TO UNDERCUT THE JOINT Angle the chisel away from the block for subsequent chops. At the halfway point, flip the board and repeat on the other side. Angle the chisel away from the block. Undercut area 1⁄32-in. Dovetail Undercutting dovetails allows for more precise joinery with much less fussing. Not every face of a dovetail or pin is visible, so the H most important edges are the outer ones. First, the bottoms of sockets can be undercut while simultaneously being chopped (see drawing). When doing your final fitting, you can always take a larger shaving from the bottom side of a dovetail or pin. Doing this creates a slight wedge, and as you hit the joint home you will see it getting tighter and tighter. Don’t worry about joint failure or lack of strength. The joint will have great contact, plenty of glue surface, and the inherent mechanical strength of the dovetail. 60 F I N E WO O DWO R K I N G and-cut dovetails can be a measure of a craftsman’s skill; they also can frustrate and overwhelm. Focus on hidden sections. The key to paring dovetails? If you won’t see it, undercut it. depth at center Small flat